STEPHANIE GARCIA WRITES – The online vigilante group Anonymous is at it again, with media giant Straits Times as its newest victim. After threatening to wage cyber warfare with the Singapore government in a YouTube video on October 30, the international hacking organization executed attacks, not on the government, but…
Author: Asia Media Staff
PHILIPPINES: AQUINO NEEDS TO BE MORE PRESIDENTIAL
TREVOR ISBELL WRITES – Talk of a possible impeachment of President Benigno S. Aquino is making the rounds among the Philippines citizenry. It stems from allegations that Aquino mishandled funds from a controversial government works project known as the Disbursement Acceleration Program, or DAP. Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago set tongues wagging…
VIETNAM: Good Night Giap, Wake Up Vietnam!
YVONNE EPPS WRITES – If Ho Chi Minh was Vietnam’s superhero, then General Vo Nguyen Giap was his trustee sidekick. Befitting such a person of honor, Vietnamese turned out in the thousands for a two-day national funeral to help send the the general to his final resting place. General Giap, a…
PAKISTAN: American Media Silent On Malala’s Stance Against Capitalism
AUSTIN SZABO WRITES – Media darling or not, the Western press has largely ignored Malala Yousafzai’s stance against U.S. drone strikes — and capitalism. Malala has been praised for her efforts to raise awareness of the importance of education in Pakistan, particularly for girls, but her voice against drone strikes…
BAHRAIN: The Bahraini Spring
AHMAD ALKHUZAM WRITES – Protests continue in Bahrain as the authorities prepared for the Muslim holiday on October 15. The recent unrest has caused several serious injuries to civilians. One such case is Abdullah Yassin, who was hospitalized after suffering a shotgun wound from the authorities. The recent demonstrations, which started on…
CAMBODIA: Moving Friction Along the Media and Government Fault
ARACELI PALAFOX WRITES – Hashtags let Twitter users teleport between the realm of zombie apocalypses and the fury of angry political protests. All the dishes you can imagine are served at this vast digital buffet. These days, anything can become a trend on Twitter by simply inserting a hash tag before…
SOUTH KOREA: Overregulation of Technology Coming to an End?
RYAN LIPPERT WRITES – South Korea enjoys some of the world’s most advanced technology. In addition, the country enoys nearly ubiquitous and extremely fast broadband. Still, one thing keeps South Korea from realizing its full online potential: Heavy-handed government regulation. This may be about to change. In South Korea, the…
MIDDLE EAST: Arab Business Women are the True Face of an Evolving Region
ELODIE INTROIA WRITES – According to most U.S. media, Arab women live in pretty miserable conditions — uneducated, denied basic freedoms, and the slaves of their husbands. In fact, Arab women are rising and becoming strong assets to the Middle East’s philanthropic, economic and political future. Last week, the Financial…
JAPAN: New Komeito Party Hopes to Safeguard Media Freedom
JEREMIAH FAJARDO WRITES – Amid the battering winds of Typhoon Wipha, the Japanese government has publicized a refreshing piece of legislature, hoping to broaden the media’s freedom of speech. The bill, referred to as the “Secrets Protection Bill,” aims at “protecting national security secrets to ensure freedom of the media…
HONG KONG: Hong Kong Journalists Association Awaits Apology
LAUREN CHEN WRITES – After being told it was not only rude, but a security threat to shout questions at a recent economic summit, Hong Kong journalists in Bali, Indonesia refused to keep quiet and had their credentials yanked. According to ABC News, the reporters from Now TV, Radio Television Hong Kong and Commercial…
AUSTRALIA: Time to “Break Bad” in Australia
AMBER VERNETTI WRITES – An Australian film corporation revealed that it will finance the production of more sophisticated TV drama for the enjoyment of audiences worldwide last week. In an attempt to satisfy viewers’ increasing demands for “high-end” television shows that are “taking creative risks and developing complex narratives,” SCREEN…
BANGLADESH: Spotlight Shifts to Tanneries
KIARA BRAMASCO WRITES – The Bangladeshi garment industry is no stranger to inspection in recent months, but the spotlight is now shifting from cloth to hide. The industry has been under a microscope ever since 1,129 people died earlier this year in the collapse of Rana Plaza, an eight-story commercial…
CHINA: When Media Asks For Answers, China Doesn’t Miss a Beat
LEXIE TUCKER WRITES – It takes a strong country to admit its past faults, which is something Japan is still working towards. 2013 commemorates the 68th anniversary of the Chinese people’s triumph over the Japanese in the War of Resistance and the World Anti-Fascist War. For those unfamiliar with the War of…
MALAYSIA: Say Goodbye to Human Rights
MARLENA NIP WRITES – Malaysian citizens are watching human rights disappear right before their eyes. Prime Minister Najib Razak and his fellow lawmakers passed new crime-prevention legislation in response to recent organized crime outbreaks. These amendments did not pass without heated debate. In recent months, there have been a number of robberies and high-profile, public…
JAPAN: The Fine Art of Pleasure
The British Museum in London has mounted an extraordinary exhibition of explicit and beautifully detailed paintings, prints and books going back to at least the 16th century. Called Shunga (the term of curators and art historians) this Japanese visual celebration of the erotic has inspired artists such as Picasso, Rodin…
THAILAND: Sexist Comment Against PM Further Marginalizes Women in Politics
ELIZABETH NAAI WRITES – You will find more honor and justice in a playground sandbox than you will in most governments. Former Prime Minister and Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva is accused of insinuating Prime Minister Yingluck is a “stupid bitch” after her visit to the reality show “Thailand’s Smart…